Rooto

[bdixon]

I have located "ROOTO" at True Value that states 100% Lye?  Is there a problem with using this product?  Does it have undesirable cleaners, etc, etc, That Lab grade Lye would not have?  I am going to wash a piece of cherry with it if my test scraps are to my liking.  I have read posts that have used EZ off, if that doesnt have cleaners added I dont know what would?

Brett.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

If it is 100% Sodium Hydroxide it should be OK... MSDS would say I guess.   Your tests are probably the proof of the pudding.

[Stophel]

Lye is lye. And that's no foolin'.

Ha.

 

[bdixon]

It claims 100% on the label.  I have lots of test pieces of the same blank.  I will post results for opinions.  Here is my curl, like Tim said yesterday, dont go to dark and mask the figure.

[Dphariss]

I have located "ROOTO" at True Value that states 100% Lye?  Is there a problem with using this product?  Does it have undesirable cleaners, etc, etc, That Lab grade Lye would not have?  I am going to wash a piece of cherry with it if my test scraps are to my liking.  I have read posts that have used EZ off, if that doesnt have cleaners added I dont know what would?

Brett.

I find Red Devil drain cleaner at the IGA grocery store. But I used it to boil out an engine block.
Dan

[bdixon]

Our IGA was driven out of existence by W#L-M#@T, but Rooto is supposed to be the replacement of this product.  Time will tell.

[Stophel]

Lye reacts with tannic acid in the wood.  Generally, maple doesn't have much tannic acid.  Sometimes, it will turn the wood a super light golden brown color.  Other times, just a kind of sick yellow, and other times, absolutely nothing at all.

[bdixon]

The lye is going on my cherry stock, I just cook up AQ for my maple and if the maple is lacking a bit, I hit it with tannic first then AQ to try to get the most out of it.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

How many guns are you building in that factory?

[Stophel]

I 'magine you could dump a handful of wood ashes in a jar of water, and that would do well enough for your lye.  

I need to make up some tannic acid solution and try and see if I can use it to regulate the color I get.  I got a mess of sumac bushes in the backyard.  Sumac is loaded with tannic acid.  I figure I can boil up some leaves and get a decent solution. 

[Ky-Flinter]

How many guns are you building in that factory?

Dang, no kidding!  I see at least four.  Looks like a fun place.

-Ron

[bluenoser]

Any chance it could be Jim Chambers shop?  Perhaps the last class.  Those numbered vises look kinda familiar.

Laurie

[FALout]

Must be a neat freak, there's no dust or wood shavings anywhere.

I'm sure the Rooto stuff will work fine.  When I did my last rifle stocked in cherry, I just used any old oven cleaner I could find.  Worked fine, just do it with good ventilation and wear heavy rubber gloves.  It really gives cherry a nice sun baked look without the wait and less chance of a shadow line that can happen so easily.  I don't go this route to antique, but to get the dark reddish hue that I like of cherry when it has darken'd.   I have one rifle(in cherry) that I built many years ago that doesn't get out to be shot much, it still has the orange hue, wish it had the color of the first rifle that I mentioned.  May have to set it outside in the sun when the neighbors aren't around.  BTW, I doubt that you have to worry about getting "lab grade" lye.  Good luck and enjoy the process (with a health bit of safety)!

[bob243]

What to you use tannic for?   were overloaded with sumac, cut one and 5 more pop up  .   Would be nice if they had a use besides the fire pit.

[bdixon]

I washed with tannic on maple before the AF, it causes the AF action to be more pronounced.  Wash with Tannic first, let dry, AF, blush with heat.  This is for Maple!!!!!  I dont know about using it on anything else.

[bob243]

I washed with tannic on maple before the AF, it causes the AF action to be more pronounced.  Wash with Tannic first, let dry, AF, blush with heat.  This is for Maple!!!!!  I dont know about using it on anything else.

Interesting, I will have to give it a try     

Also if you get to trying your lye on cherry, can you post a few pics?  I have a project started in cherry, and got actual lye from a place selling it for making soap.    I couldnt find rooto or red devil locally.

[bdixon]

Test pieces of Cherry with Lye and LMF Cherry stain, The LMF seemed to overpower my curl, I think the Lye will be my wifes preference for her stock.  Left, 3 tablespoons lye to 1 quart water, washed on and left for 10 minutes, then rinsed. Middle piece, same mix left on for 20 minutes and rinsed, right side of middle piece, BLO only, right piece, LMF cherry stain full strength. All pieces have BLO applied after stain.

[Robby]

bdixon, this is cherry with nothing done to  it, but a little sun now and then. Its not as quick as using a treatment, but cherry is very photo-reactive, and takes on a very warm and pleasing color that gets better with time. Just another alternative.

Robby

[bdixon]

Is it oiled??

[Robby]

bdixon, I'm not sure what you mean by oiled. If I remember correctly, the wood recieved a coat of store bought linseed oil, that was rubbed in with heat supplied by the warmth of my hand, and the friction that occurs as a by product of that vigorous activity , let it take all it will, and wipe off all excess. Then I used a linseed oil based varnish, and hand rubbed it in as well. I can't remember which varnish it was, as I tried a lot of them. Now, as a result of the information supplied by Dan and others, I am making my own varnish.
Robby

[bdixon]

Yep that is what I meant, BLO hand rubbed until it takes no more.